


The Beast Within

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Angst, Demonic Transformations, F/M, Fear, First Kiss, Love, Slight Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 17:23:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17812229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: The Ghostbusters track down a ghost in the woods but find more than they expected. Peter and Janine are attacked, leading to another problem.





	1. The Encounter

It was a dark, rainy, cold October evening. The Ghostbusters, including Janine, were out tracking down an elusive ghost. It had been giving them the slip for the past three and a half hours. 

“I’m wet, I’m tired, and I’m HUNGRY!” Peter whined. 

“Oh shut it, Dr. V!” Janine replied, annoyed. 

“Oh yeah?! You weren’t the one that got dragged through a river!” Peter angrily retorted.

“It was not a river; it was a large mud puddle,” Egon calmly replied.

“Whatever! I’m still soaked from head to toe!” Peter continued to whine.

“Why don’t you try having to haul this pack in the pouring rain while wearing an underwire bra!” Janine argued. “The pack has been making the damn thing ride up all evening!”

“Alright! That’s enough you two!” Winston stepped in. 

Egon’s face had blushed profusely. Now he was desperately trying to get that image out of his mind. They all knew he was secretly crazy about the redhead, but who knew how long it would take for him to admit it?

Ray had made sure to stay completely out of this conversation. He didn’t like butting heads with Venkman, and he was terrified at the thoughts of tangling with Janine. 

Winston’s tone was enough to quiet down the two bickering grown ups as they continued tracking the entity with their PKE meters. 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t split up?” Janine asked. 

“Definitely not,” Egon said. “It’s too risky in this weather.”

“Yeah, so shut up! We don’t have time to wander around looking for your ass if you get lost!” Peter teased.

Janine kept silent but gave Peter a very distinctive finger gesture. 

About thirty minutes later, the arms on Egon’s PKE meter shot upwards. “Get ready!” he warned.

They readied themselves, gripping their throwers tightly. The group fanned out as they approached the area. The woods thinned out and opened up to a clearing as the meter’s alarm sounded. Egon quickly silenced it so as not to give away their location. 

Winston thought he caught a glimpse of something on the far left side of the area. “Ray, heads up! I think I saw it!”

Ray looked in the same direction. “Yeah! I see it!”

In a flash, the ghost headed straight for them. They all opened fire, but the ghost was able to clear the streams. 

As the ghost turned and headed back for another pass, out of nowhere, two huge wolf-like beasts ran towards them. Winston aimed for the ghost while the others aimed for the beasts. 

The streams had almost no effect on them except to make them even more angry. Winston let the ghost go when he realized the others needed help.

“What are these things?!” Peter yelled.

“Some form of demonic wolf!” Egon yelled back.

“Well, let’s put these puppies to bed!” Winston yelled.

They all increased the power levels and fired again. One of the wolves was starting to break free. Ray, Winston and Janine were holding one while Egon and Peter held the other. 

The one wolf was able to break the hold Egon and Peter had. It barreled towards Peter.

“PETER! LOOK OUT!” Egon screamed.

Before he could react, the wolf grabbed Peter’s leg, it’s teeth sinking into his flesh.

“DAMN! GET THIS THING OFF ME!” Peter yelled.

Egon fired his thrower, knocking the wolf off of Peter and pulling it away. Peter quickly regained his composure and helped Egon hold the beast. 

Egon threw out the trap and they were able to wrangle it in.

Meanwhile, Winston, Ray and Janine almost had the other creature ready to trap. Janine threw the ghost trap out.

“READY!” She yelled over the wolf’s screams.

Suddenly, Ray’s pack overheated, forcing him to shut down. Winston and Janine couldn’t hold it as they struggled from the loss of support from Ray’s absence. 

The beast broke free and tackled Janine to the ground. Egon and Peter rushed to help. Winston shut down his pack and together, he and Ray ran over to Janine. The beast had her pinned down onto the ground, its teeth bearing down into her right shoulder. She had tried to kick it off of her, but it was too heavy.

Winston grabbed a nearby tree branch on the ground and waved it at the wolf, trying to get its attention. It looked up, releasing Janine. As the beast ran towards Winston, Egon and Peter fired their throwers at the wolf. Ray grabbed Winston’s pack and joined in. 

They caught the creature in the streams. Winston grabbed a ghost trap and threw it out. He opened it, and the others lowered the beast down into the trap. Once it closed, successfully trapping the wolf, the guys ran over to Janine.

She was still lying on the ground, blood seeping from the wound on her shoulder.

“Janine? Please say something!” Egon urged as he carefully cradled her in his arms.

Her eyes fluttered open, a weak grin spreading across her face. “I….don’t think I want….a dog for a pet.”

The others lightly chuckled, relieved that her sense of humor was still intact. 

“We need to get her and Pete to a hospital,” Winston said. “That gash on his leg looks as bad as the one on Janine’s shoulder.”

“Yes. Let’s go,” Egon said as he stood, lifting Janine to her feet as well. “Can you walk?”

“Yeah, just a little woozy,” she admitted.

“I’m the one with the busted leg!” Peter whined. “Don’t I get a lift to the car?” He laughed.

Winston and Ray rolled their eyes as they supported Peter’s weight, one on each side of him. 

“We’ve gotcha, man. Just let us do the work,” Winston said.

The group made it to Ecto-1. Egon held a small cloth he had found in the back over Janine’s wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. Ray did the same for Peter’s leg as Winston got them to the nearest hospital.

The doctor had treated the Ghostbusters a few times before. He had grown accustomed to seeing odd injuries. 

“Well, it’s been at least a month since I’ve seen you last!” the doctor quipped.

“Yeah, thought you might be worried so we managed to get screwed up to come see you,” Peter said with a grin.

“I’ll get you to a room,” the doctor said, very serious now that he could see the gaping wounds.

“Do I want to know what happened?” Dr. Edmonds asked.

“Let’s just say a couple of big demon dogs got a little too friendly,” Winston said.

A nurse was cleaning the wounds as the doctor prepared to stitch them up.

About twenty minutes later, the group was on their way back to the Firehouse. Dr. Edmonds had instructed them on how to keep the wounds cleaned as they healed. He prescribed some pain medication for Peter and Janine which would also help them rest.

Ray prepared the sofa bed in the rec room for Janine as Winston helped Peter to the bunk room. Egon stayed with Janine in case she needed anything. 

Peter and Janine both fell asleep quickly as the medication did its job. Winston and Ray went to bed while Egon dozed in the rec room. 

No one noticed the faint reddish glow shining from underneath Peter and Janine’s bandages.


	2. Things are Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Janine start showing signs of side effects from their injuries.

It was about 2:00 am when Egon was roused from his sleep by a moan. He looked over at Janine; she seemed to be asleep but moaning. Egon reached over and placed his hand against her forehead. She was very warm. 

Just then, Ray came running in from the bunk room. “Peter’s having a nightmare and burning up with a fever!”

“Yes, Janine has a fever as well,” Egon replied calmly. “She’s moaning but I do not think she’s experiencing a nightmare.”

Winston came into the room. “I’ve got some cool washcloths on Pete’s forehead. He seems to have calmed for now.”

“An infection?” Egon asked.

“Possibly, but I’m gonna have to replace the bandage on his leg. Looks like the wound may be draining,” Winston said.

Ray had gone to get an ice pack for Janine. He returned to the rec room, giving it to Egon to place on her forehead. 

Winston looked at the bandage on Janine’s shoulder. “Yeah, looks like hers is doing the same thing.”

“I’ll go get the first aid kit,” Ray offered. He returned in just a few seconds.

“Good thing Janine keeps these things full,” Winston muttered. 

As Winston started removing the bandage, Janine’s eyes flew open. She took a deep breath.

“It’s ok, Janine! Your bandage needs to be replaced,” Egon said soothingly, holding her arms firmly against the couch to allow Winston to work.

“Something’s not right,” Janine whispered, a haunting look in her eyes.

Her expression chilled Egon to his core. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t feel normal,” she replied. “My shoulder burns.”

“It may be slightly infected,” Winston said. “I’m cleaning it now. It’ll be ok.”

In just a few minutes, Winston had reapplied a new bandage. Janine calmed down and fell back to sleep again.

“Thanks Winston. I’ll keep a close eye on her,” Egon said. 

“Yeah, let’s go back and check on Pete,” Winston said to Ray.

When they got back to the bunk room, Peter was still lying on his bed, sleeping peacefully. His fever had subsided.

“See Ray? It was just a slight infection,” Winston reassured the younger Buster.

“I hope that’s all it is,” Ray replied nervously. 

“What do you getting at?” Winston asked.

“They were bitten by demonic wolves; I just think we need to do some research on it. Make sure there’s no side effects.”

Winston nodded in agreement. “Yeah, But in the morning. I’m exhausted.”

Ray agreed, returning to his own bed. 

As Winston and Ray fell back to sleep, Peter’s eyes opened, staring into the darkness with red, glowing eyes.

***************************  
The next morning, Peter slowly made his way down to the kitchen. Winston, Ray and Egon were already fixing breakfast. 

“Morning, Pete!” Winston greeted him. “How ya feelin?”

“Like I’ve been wrestling with a bear,” Peter replied sleepily.

“Oh yeah? Who won?” Ray asked jokingly.

“I’m guessing the bear judging from how sore I am,” Peter answered.

“Maybe this’ll help,” Winston said as he set a cup of fresh coffee on the table in front of Peter.

“Thanks,” Peter mumbled.

Egon took his mug and returned to the rec room. Janine was starting to wake up.

“Oh man! Coffee!” Janine said excitedly.

“Take mine; I’ll fix another one,” Egon offered as he handed her the mug.

Peter’s eyes narrowed once he realized Janine was in the next room. He could feel the hairs on his neck standing up. 

Ray noticed his reaction. “What’s wrong Peter?”

“I….I didn’t realize Janine was here,” Peter said softly.

“Yeah, we thought it best to keep her here with us. Good thing too! Both of you had to get new bandages over your wounds. They started seeping and both of you were running fevers! But Winston took care of it,” Ray explained.

Peter slightly relaxed. “As long as she doesn’t make it a habit.”

Ray didn’t say anything, but he was getting nervous. Why was Peter still so angry at Janine? They had been aggravating each other the day before, but usually things would settle down. 

Ray silently dismissed himself and headed for the lab. He needed to get started on that research.

Meanwhile, Janine started to follow Egon to the kitchen but stopped abruptly when she saw Peter. 

“Um...Egon? I think I’m gonna lay back down. I’m…. not feeling as good as I thought,” Janine said.

Egon looked confused. Less than ten seconds ago, she seemed fine. “Alright…..want me to bring you something to eat?”

“No thanks. I’ll eat later,” Janine said shyly.

Peter stood. “I’m gonna head back to bed myself. I’m not feeling that great either.”

Egon also noticed how both Peter and Janine seemed “off.” He took Janine a bowl of oatmeal. “This should be easy on your stomach. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on something I’ve got going in the lab.”

Janine smiled; always the scientist. “Sure. I might try to rest some more.”

“Sounds good,” Egon said warmly with a smile. 

Egon found Ray in the lab reading. “I didn’t realize you were in here.”

“Sorry. Yeah, I needed to get started on the research,” Ray explained. 

“Yes, I was going to do the same thing,” Egon replied.

“Any particular reason?” Ray asked, curious as to whether Egon had made the same observation between Peter and Janine.

Egon frowned. “Things between Peter and Janine aren’t …..normal.”

Ray sat up straighter. “You saw it too?!”

“Yes, but please help me understand what ‘it’ is?” Egon asked.

Ray showed Egon a section in the book he had been reading. “I wanted to see if there were any reported side effects of someone being bitten by one of those demon dog things? According to this, the victim eventually will start showing signs, depending on the severity of the bite.”

“Both Peter and Janine suffered substantial wounds,” Egon said worriedly.

“Yeah, Which is probably why their signs are showing so quickly. I’m not sure how much time we have to find a cure, but it may not be long,” Ray said nervously.

Egon read the section Ray had found. His face paled dramatically. “Raymond…..what are the odds that you can find these ingredients to make this potion?”

“I can, but I don’t know how much time I have,” Ray said sadly. “Then, there’s this.” Ray pointed out another section for Egon to read.

Egon’s eyes widened. “Do you think this is why they’re acting this way towards each other?” 

“Yes, I’m afraid so. And it’s only going to get worse,” Ray said. “They had been picking at each other like they usually do. But Peter, as usual, pushed Janine a little too far. She got mad and then their teasing got serious. The bites they received are amplifying their anger towards each other. And as time goes by, things are gonna get more tense, even dangerous. There’s only one alpha in these demon dog groups. And unfortunately, I think both Peter and Janine want to be the alpha.”

“And that depends on who wins in a fight to the death battle,” Egon said. 

“Let’s bring Winston in on this. Then I’ll start getting these ingredients together,” Ray suggested.

They updated Winston on what they had just found out. Winston’s expression was one of deep concern. 

“We need to keep the two of them separated,” he suggested to Egon and Ray.

They agreed. “I’ll take Janine back to her apartment,” Egon said. “Call me at her place when you have the potion ready.”

Ray agreed.

Just then, they heard a crashing sound from the kitchen. The three men ran back to the kitchen. Peter was just entering the kitchen when Egon, Winston and Ray came in. 

Janine was picking up shards of glass on the floor. 

“Janine! What happened?!” Egon asked.

“I got a little dizzy and dropped my coffee mug. I’m sorry, I’ll get it cleaned up,” Janine said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Winston said gently. 

Egon stepped over to help Janine clean up the glass pieces. He tried to be careful but a piece of glass stuck in his hand, cutting his palm.

He grabbed a paper towel; Janine rushed to help him. Egon held his hand over the sink, letting water gently run over it. Janine ran her fingertips over the wound, wiping the blood away. Egon watched as she brought her fingers to her lips, lightly sucking the blood off. Janine’s temperament changed almost instantly. 

Janine turned around quickly to face Peter. They narrowed their eyes at each other. “Get the hell outta here!” She yelled at him. 

Peter stepped forward. “This is MY home; YOU GET OUT!”

Winston and Ray stood in between the two. 

“Hold it! Pete, settle down,” Winston said sternly. “Janine, why don’t you help Egon with his hand in the bathroom?”

“FINE!” she screamed. 

Egon took her by the arm and led her out of the kitchen. 

Afterwards, Peter shook his head. “Wow! What happened? Did I just kick Janine out?” 

“Sort of….but it’s for the best,” Ray said. He explained to Peter what had happened. Peter remembered everything that had happened but didn’t understand it. Once Ray told him what he and Egon had read, Peter became worried.

“We’ve gotta fix this! I don’t wanna hurt Janine!” Peter admitted. “Not to mention, I don’t wanna turn into a demon dog!!”

Meanwhile, Egon and Janine were in the bathroom putting the finishing touches on a bandage for his hand. 

“There! That should do it!” Janine announced, proud of her handiwork.

“Yes….thank you,” Egon said. “Um….Janine, I think we may need to consider moving you to your apartment.”

“I’m all for it!” she agreed. “I think it’s obvious I’ll be ok now. I appreciate you guys helping me out. But I think I’ll rest better in my own bed,” she said that last part rather seductively, sending a warm feeling straight to Egon’s groin.

He cleared his throat, stepping into the hall. “Well, I guess we should get our belongings together.”

Janine’s eyes almost bulged out of her head. “You’re coming with me?!” She practically bounced with excitement.

Egon looked at her with a very serious expression. “Janine, I need to tell you what Ray and I have found during our research.”

He told her everything they knew, including the potion. Janine almost broke down into tears. Egon moved over to her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. 

“Try not to worry. Ray is confident that he can produce the potion needed to reverse the effects.”

“Let me get my shoes,” Janine said. She let out a deep sigh. 

Peter had returned to the bunk room. Ray was cleaning up the broken mug pieces when Janine entered. 

“I’m really sorry,” she apologized. “I’m just gonna get my shoes. Then Egon’s gonna take me home. He told me about the book you read and the potion. But things between me and Peter might get worse if I stay. He’s gonna stay with me in case other side effects start showing up.”

“That’s good,” Ray said. “Don’t worry, Janine. We’re gonna get things fixed.” He gave her a wane smile, trying to reassure her.

She grabbed her shoes and slipped them on before heading downstairs. Egon met her a few minutes later. Janine gave him her car keys. Together they left to head to her apartment. 

The ride was quiet yet tense. Finally, Egon couldn’t handle the silence any longer. 

“Janine, are you experiencing any effects?”

“What makes you say?” she asked lazily as she stared out the window.

“What happened back there with the cut on my hand.”

Janine looked at Egon. “I don’t know why I did that.”

“You were also dizzy,” Egon pointed out.

“I thought I had stood up too fast, but I’ve been thinking about it. I was dizzy before I stood up. And I dropped the mug because my hands started cramping. But I was afraid to say anything.”

The car came to a stop at a red light. Egon turned to Janine and squeezed her hand. “I want you to tell me about everything you experience. I need to know so I can help you.”

Janine nodded in agreement. 

When they arrived at her apartment building, Egon parked the car. Janine unlocked the door, but Egon has to turn the door knob. Janine’s hands starting cramping again. As he closed the door, Janine had sat down in the chair in the kitchen. 

Egon walked over and knelt in front of her so he could look her directly in the eyes. “Is there anything I can do?”

Janine shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. Egon looked at her hands without touching them. Her fingers seemed to be temporarily stuck in a claw like position, almost like a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. He also noticed that her fingernails had grown out at least half an inch. They also seeed thicker.

Egon went to the kitchen sink, wetting a washcloth under warm water. He returned and placed the cloth over her hands. Janine relaxed instantly. 

“Oh, thank you! That feels much better!” she said, relieved.

“I’ll make notes of everything...for future reference,” Egon said. 

Janine lightly chuckled. “Great. I’ve become one of your science experiments.”

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Egon replied with a slight blush.

Janine leaned forward, inches away from Egon’s face. She had a predatory look on her face. “Why don’t we take this experiment to the bedroom?”

Egon pulled away quickly, his heart pounding. “Um...ahhhh….Janine,” he squeaked. Then he remembered a passage he and Ray had read earlier: one of the first things the female alpha will do is to establish a mate and mark him as her own.”


	3. Taming the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon deals with Janine as the alpha female starts making the move to mark her territory.

“Janine…..,” Egon said, standing up to put some distance between himself and Janine. She looked very much like a woman with one thing on her mind and wouldn’t be satisfied until she got it. 

Janine stood, slowly backing Egon against the wall. She walked up to him, her right hand idly pulling at the zipper on his jumpsuit. Her eyes dark with lust, she whispered, “I think we both know our true feelings for each other….you want me, you just don’t know how to ask me.”

Egon’s heart was beating so hard, his ears were vibrating. Deep down, he knew Janine was right; he had been in love with her for years but didn’t know how to admit it. But jumping straight to the bedroom isn’t how he had pictured things between them to go. 

He then remembered that he had placed a syringe in his jumpsuit pocket filled with a tranquilizer. He grabbed it on a whim before leaving the Firehouse, not sure what to expect. He thought it might be a good idea to be prepared in case Janine became feral, for lack of a better word.

Egon took a deep breath to steel himself then released it. He managed a somewhat lustful leer himself, taking Janine a bit by surprise. He took her hand in his.

“You’re right, Janine,” he said nervously. “I have wanted you for a long time. Why don’t we take this to your bedroom?”

Janine smiled almost evilly as she led him to her bedroom. While her back was turned, Egon slipped the syringe out of his pocket and gripped it to get ready.

Once in the bedroom, Janine stood by the side of the bed, turning to face Egon. She slowly, enticingly stripped off her clothes, down to her bra and panties. It took all of Egon’s willpower to stay focused on the task at hand, but Janine’s body was quite a distraction. 

She started to unzip Egon’s jumpsuit further when he caught her hand. “Allow me,” he whispered. Janine watched as he finished unzipping his suit, then stepping out of it. He still had on his everyday clothes underneath. 

Janine stepped forward to unbutton his shirt. Egon leaned down and started kissing her neck. While she was distracted, he took the syringe in his other hand and quickly inserted it into her upper right arm, injecting her with the complete vial of tranquilizer.

Janine stepped back immediately, hissing at Egon, her eyes turning blood red in anger. “YOU BASTARD!” She screamed. Within seconds, Janine collapsed, Egon catching her and gently lying her down on the bed. 

He covered her with a blanket. “I’m sorry, please forgive me Janine,” Egon whispered sadly. “I meant what I said, but this isn’t the way I had imagined it.”

Egon then grabbed the phone on the nightstand and called the Firehouse. Luckily, Ray answered. “Ray! I had to tranquilize Janine!”

“What?! Why?!” Ray asked in surprise.

“She...ahhhh….tried to….,” Egon stuttered.

Ray couldn’t help but grin. “Went alpha female on you?”

“That’s One way to put it,” Egon admitted. 

“How long will she be out?” Ray asked. 

“Approximately two to four hours,” Egon replied flatly.

“Where’d you get tranquilizers? And how did you get her to take it?!” Ray asked, genuinely curious. 

“I took two of the over the counter sleep aids we have at the Firehouse and dissolved them in water. Then, I poured it into a syringe. I injected it into her arm,” Egon explained. 

“Good idea! Maybe I should prepare some for Peter? You know, just in case?” Ray asked.

“Wouldn’t hurt,” Egon replied. “Let me know the minute you get the potion ready.”

“Hold on!” Ray urged. “I wanna ask something!”

“Yes?” Egon asked.

“How far did you and Janine get? Before you knocked her out with the sleep aids?” Ray asked. 

Egon could almost hear Ray’s grin through the phone. “Raymond, you have been spending far too much time around Venkman.”

He could hear Ray’s uncontrollable laughter as he hung up the phone.


	4. Handling the Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon manages with Janine’s transformation as Winston and Ray deal with Peter’s.

Egon was quite annoyed at Ray’s reaction. However, he couldn’t help but smile when he thought about the situation. He has been in love with Janine since the first day they met. Maybe it was time for him to admit it?

As she lay on the bed asleep, he took a few moments to memorize her facial features. He very rarely had a quiet moment to just observe her without being harassed by Peter or Janine herself making bold advances.

Then, in a move that surprised even himself, Egon knelt beside the bed, his face inches from Janine’s. He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss over her lips. But that only made him want more of her. So, Egon placed a hand on the side of her face, deepening the kiss. 

Suddenly, Egon pulled back quickly, distancing himself from Janine, who was still asleep. During the kiss, he felt something very sharp rub against his tongue. Luckily, it didn’t cut. He very carefully used his fingers to slightly lift her upper lip just enough to reveal two fangs on Janine’s upper row of teeth. 

Egon quickly grabbed the phone on the nightstand and called the Firehouse. This time, Winston answered. 

“Winston! It’s Egon!”

“Oh thank God it’s you! I was getting ready to call. We’ve got a situation here,” Winston said urgently. 

“What’s your situation? It maybe the same as mine,” Egon said.

“Pete has developed fangs!”

“So has Janine.”

“What do we do?”

“Is he asleep?” Egon asked.

“Yeah, Ray tranquilized him the same way you did with Janine. He’s been out for about thirty minutes. We had to do something; Pete became agitated then started growling and throwing stuff around the rec room!” Winston said.

“What stuff?” Egon asked.

“The rec room - couch, coffee table, chair cushions - pretty much anything he could get his hands on! There’s also something else; he’s developed claws.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed the same thing with Janine,” Egon said. 

“Is Pete gonna go alpha male like Janine went alpha female?” Winston asked, his tone serious.

“No, if you’re referring to seeking a mate,” Egon replied. “But, he may see you and Ray as competition, so be prepared for attacks.”

“I’ll tell Ray to find something we can safely but securely restrain him with,” Winston suggested.

“Excellent idea; I’ll do the same here,” Egon said. “How’s Ray coming with the potion?”

“Slow. He’s afraid to leave me alone with Peter since he’s gotten aggressive. But I’ll convince him to do whatever he needs to do; we’ve gotta get that potion ready!”

“Agreed. Let me know if there are any changes with Peter. And when the potion is ready,” Egon urged.

“Will do,” Winston agreed.

Egon hung up the phone and continued to keep a watchful eye on Janine. He also scanned the room for anything he could use for restraints if needed. He saw a pair of nylons hanging up to dry in the adjoining bathroom but quickly decided that wouldn’t be strong enough. Then his eyes came upon an extension cord in the bottom of her closet. The door was ajar enough to see. He decided that would have to do. 

As Egon quietly took the cord out of the closet, he heard Janine whimper in her sleep. Carefully, he stepped back over to the bed, holding the cord tightly just in case. 

Janine’s facial features were changing. The top of her ears had grown slightly, becoming pointed at the ends. Even though her eyes were closed, Egon could see the shape of her eyes had narrowed. Her breathing had changed to more of a panting, like a dog. 

Egon didn’t think it was necessary to restrain Janine….yet. But he kept the cord nearby. 

Meanwhile, at the Firehouse, Winston was keeping an eye on Peter. He had found some rope in the back of Ecto-1. He didn’t want to use it, but he figured if necessary, he could restrain Peter with it. He could tie it loose enough to not cause injury but tight enough to hold him down. 

Winston had finally convinced Ray that he’d be safe so he could find the ingredients needed for the potion. Ray had left for the market. He needed various types of herbs. Of course, there was one main ingredient he needed for the potion to work. Obtaining that will be very tricky. 

After getting the herbs, Ray headed for an occult shop that was owned by a friend of his, The Witches’ Cove. Ray went there from time to time for books and the like. Over the past two years, he had became more interested in the occult: magic, spells, potions. He hoped now would prove that the time he’s spent learning these things was time well spent.

“Hi Leonard!” Ray greeted his friend as he entered the shop, the little bell ringing to alert him when customers entered. 

“Hey Ray! Where ya been?” 

“Busy. Can’t really talk right now,” Ray said.

“No problem; what can I help you with?” Leonard asked.

“It’s a long story. The short of it is I’ve gotta obtain a particular ingredient to make a potion to save two of my friends,” Ray explained. 

“Wow! Sounds heavy!” Leonard said. “Whatcha need?”

“I need something to keep my friends stable while I get a vial of their blood,” Ray answered. “They’re changing into a demon dog. I’ve got a potion I can make to cure them, but I’m gonna have to add their blood to it for it to work.”

“I’ve got what you need!” Leonard said, rushing to the back room of the shop. Within minutes, he returned with a small wooden box. He opened it to show Ray a necklace with a charm attached. The charm was made of solid gold in the shape of a pyramid. In the middle was a bright red stone.

Ray let out a slow whistle, his eyes widening. “Wow! What’s this?!”

“It’s a Zenaphyr amulet,” Leonard replied. “Place it on your friends’ chest if you can’t actually hook it around their necks. The stone will glow bright orange, meaning the power of the amulet will keep them in a state of suspended animation. When you’ve extracted the blood, remove the amulet and they’ll wake back up.”

“Cool! How much do I owe you?” Ray asked.

“Nah, consider it a loan. This is an emergency. Just return it when your friends are safe,” Leonard offered with a smile. 

Ray nodded in thanks as he took the box. As he turned to leave, Leonard asked, “I hope one of your friends who needs this ain’t that pretty little redhead that works for you guys!” He gave Ray a playful wink. 

Ray answered back over his shoulder, “Actually it is. But don’t ever let Dr. Spengler hear you say that!” 

Leonard leaned back against the counter in the shop, crossing his arms. “Well, Damn,” he mumbled.


	5. Pass the Potion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray has made the potion. Now they just have to get it in Peter and Janine; easier said than done.

Ray returned to the Firehouse, running to the lab. Winston came in. 

“Anything I can help you with?” Winston asked.

“Get me time to fix the potion, then help me with Peter,” Ray said as he hurriedly mixed the ingredients. 

“You got it,” Winston said.

Suddenly, Ray and Winston heard a crash from the bunk room. They raced upstairs. Just before they got there, they heard a deafening howl.

“Oh shit!” Winston exclaimed. 

They stopped in the doorway, horrified to see that Peter had transformed into a demon dog-like creature. He stood upright but had grown dark brown fur over his body. His clothes had ripped off except for what was left of his pants. He now wore what looked like a pair of cut off denim shorts. His face had completely changed to that of a wolf with a long snout and huge fangs. 

Winston grabbed the rope that he had stashed under the bottom edge of his bed. “Take this end and go around behind him!” he directed Ray. 

Winston tackled Peter down onto the floor and used his end of the rope to wind around his wrists, carefully avoiding his teeth. Ray had gone behind Peter with his end of the rope and met back around the front. Winston took it and tied Peter’s ankles together. By the time he was done, Peter looked like a bull who had been tied up at a rodeo. He couldn’t move since his hands and feet were tied together with the same rope. 

“Finish that potion!” Winston yelled.

Ray ran back to the lab, grabbed the wooden box, a needle and vial, then returned to the bunk room. “I’ve gotta get some of his blood to complete the potion!” Ray explained.

“Great,” Winston mumbled.

Peter was thrashing on the floor, growling as he tried to untangle himself. Ray laid the amulet on Peter’s chest, instantly calming him. He then quickly stuck Peter’s arm, extracting the blood, then returning to the lab. He left the amulet on his chest to keep him calm. 

Ten minutes later, Ray returned to the bunk room. Winston was watching Peter, who was still laying quietly on the floor. 

“Here’s the fun part,” Ray said. “The potion is too thick to put in a syringe, so we’re gonna have to pour it down his throat.”

“It should be easy with that charm on his chest?” Winston pointed out. 

Winston pryed Peter’s jaws open while Ray poured the thick liquid into Peter’s mouth. Winston quickly slammed Peter’s jaws closed, holding his mouth closed. He also pinched Peter’s nose closed for good measure. Peter reluctantly swallowed, shivering once the aftertaste effect started.

Winston released him, Ray sitting back. 

“Why did you hold his nose?” Ray asked.

Winston smiled. “My sister’s kid is stubborn when it comes to taking medicine. That’s the only way we can get him to take it without spitting it back out.”

Ray laughed. “Yeah, that’s Peter, too.”

They watched as Peter’s features slowly returned to normal. Ray grabbed a blanket off his bed to cover him. Once Peter’s body started transforming back, what little clothes he had left covering him fell off. Winston helped Ray lift Peter off the floor and onto the bed. 

“Ohhhh, Hell! That was some party!” Peter moaned.

“Yeah, probably gonna be one helluva hangover, too, pal,” Winston said. 

“I’ll call Egon; let him know I’ll be over with the potion,” Ray said. 

“Better hurry. Chances are good Janine has already changed since Pete had,” Winston urged.

Ray ran to the lab, grabbed the phone and dialed Janine’s number. Egon picked up on the second ring. 

“You’d better have that potion ready!” Egon yelled. 

“Yeah! We’ve already administered it to Peter! It worked!” Ray said. “But I’ve gotta get some of Janine’s blood to make it work.”

“Get here as quickly as you can! I can’t keep her calm much longer!” Egon urged.

Ray hung up the phone. He turned to see Winston in the doorway. 

“Pete’s sleeping for now,” Winston said. 

“I think Janine has turned. When I was talking to Egon, I could hear scratching noises and howling in the background. I’m getting my stuff and heading over there,” Ray said. 

Ray went back to check on Peter and to retrieve the amulet. “Call me at Janine’s if something happens. I’ll be back as soon as I administer the potion to her.”

Winston agreed. With that, Ray took his bag of potion ingredients and left for Janine’s. 

*************************  
Egon had tried to restrain Janine with the extension cord, but she had succeeded in breaking free. Her fingernails that had turned into claws tore through the cord like tissue paper. So, he had locked her in the bathroom. 

By the time Ray arrived, she was almost ready to break down the door.

“How have you been able to keep her locked in there?” Ray asked as he set up his work station by the bed.

“I….umm….I told her I was getting things ready..,” Egon said, blushing profusely.

Ray glances up, grinning. “Oh! She thinks you two are getting ready to…..,”

“Yes! She’s been howling and scratching at the door like this ever since,” Egon said.

“Sounds like a cat in heat,” Ray said. 

“She has transformed, Ray,” Egon warned. “She’s covered in fur, and she looks completely like one of those demon dogs.”

“Not for long,” Ray said, handing the amulet to Egon. “Get this either around her neck or lay it on her chest. It will keep her calm long enough for me to get a vial of blood and make the potion.”

Egon took the amulet and approached the bathroom door. He cleared his throat. “Janine? I’m ready to begin.” Egon was extremely nervous, for more than one reason.

He unlocked the door and slowly opened it. Janine had settled down a bit when Egon told her he was ready. She stepped out but stopped abruptly when she saw Ray. She bared her teeth, growling. Janine’s body was completely covered in an auburn colored fur. The only clothing left still clinging to her was her underwear, which were barely holding on. But because of the thick fur, no body parts were noticeable. 

Ray stayed still as Egon tried to talk Janine down. 

“It’s ok. Ray is just here to see you before our union begins,” Egon lied, rather convincingly. “I asked him to stop by.”

Janine looked at Egon, calming back down. Egon held out his hand, offering to escort her over to the bed. Egon stepped behind her. 

“But first, I have a gift for you,” Egon said gently as he hooked the amulet around her neck. 

Janine instantly collapsed, Egon catching her and carrying her to the bed. He laid her down and covered her up to her waist, leaving her arms visible so Ray could have access for the blood he needed.

Ray worked quickly, filling the vial with Janine’s blood. He then took his bag and ran to the kitchen to finish the potion. 

Egon sat on the edge of the bed, watching Janine as she lay still, her eyes fluttering underneath her eyelids. “Hold on, my love,” he whispered. 

A few minutes later, Ray ran back into the bedroom holding a small glass with the potion in it. Egon looked at the glass, then at Ray.

“It’s too thick to put in a syringe,” Ray explained. “We poured it down Peter’s throat. Hopefully, Janine won’t be as stubborn.”

Just then, the phone rang. Ray jumped up. “That might be Winston! Be right back!” Ray ran into the kitchen and answered the phone. 

“Ray! You’d better get back here! Pete’s changing back to human but he’s acting out: throwing things, yelling. I don’t know what to do!” Winston said sternly.

“Yeah! Ok! I’ve gotten the potion ready; Egon’s gonna have to administer it!” Ray said. “I’ll be right there!” Ray hung up, running back to the bedroom. 

“That was Winston. I’ve gotta go; Peter is back to being human but Winston said he’s throwing things, yelling. He needs my help. Can you handle giving the potion to Janine?”

Egon took the glass from Ray. “Yes, of course. Go and help Winston.”

“Ok. I’ll call later and check up on her,” Ray said.

As Ray left the apartment, Egon walked over to the bed. Suddenly, Janine’s eyes flew open, shining bright red. She overpowered the amulet and pulled it off, breaking the spell. She was able to move freely. 

She stood up quickly, her eyes full of want and desire. But she had a menacing expression, not one of love or even lust. She was a female canine, ready to mate and mark her territory. 

Egon offered her the glass. “Why don’t we drink this before we begin?” his voice quivering. 

Janine ignored the glass and didn’t seem to be interested in his proposal. She walked closer to him, almost in a stealth-like approach. 

Egon tried offering the glass again. 

“I don’t want a drink,” she said. 

Egon then had one last idea: he turned his back to Janine and turned the glass up to his lips. He held the potion in his mouth and turned back around to face her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and carefully pressed his mouth against her snout. As Janine opened her mouth, Egon transferred the potion into her mouth, not breaking the kiss until after the entire potion had been transferred. 

He pulled away slightly, using his hands to then hold her mouth closed, ensuring that she swallowed it. As soon as she did, she jerked away from him. Janine raised her head towards the ceiling and let out one last howl before falling back onto the bed unconscious. 

Egon stood by the bedside, watching as her body slowly transformed back to her human form. Her face changed first; her ears returned to their original size and shape; her snout disappeared, her normal nose returning. 

Next, the fur faded and changed back to skin. The rest of her body quickly returned to normal. Egon rushed to grab a blanket when he realized that Janine was topless. Her underwear was still there, as it had been while she was a demon wolf. He covered her but not before he memorized every delicious curve of her body. 

Slowly, Janine opened her eyes, taking a deep breath. She tried to sit up, Egon helping her. He propped up the pillows against the headboard and leaned her back, keeping the blanket over her. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked. 

“I’ve got a sudden urge for steak,” she replied with a faint smile. 

“Do you remember anything?” Egon asked.

“Some of it. It’s kinda fuzzy but I remember changing to a wolf thing….oh god, I didn’t bite you, did I?!”

“No,” he lightly chuckled. 

Janine suddenly realized she was half naked underneath the blanket. She grabbed the blanket, pulling it up to her neck, blushing.

Egon took the hint and eased up off the bed. “I’ll give you some privacy.” He left the room, closing the door slightly. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Janine just smiled. 

Egon walked to the kitchen, picking up the phone and calling the Firehouse. 

“Hey, is it you, Egon?” Ray answered.

“Yes! How’s Peter?!” 

“Good. I guess he just had some kind of late reaction to the potion. But he’s fine now. He’s taking a shower and insisting we go out for steaks!” 

Egon grinned. “Yes, Janine mentioned that. She seems fine so far. But I’m going to stay here for a while, just to be sure.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Ray agreed. “See ya later? Tomorrow?”

“Yes. I’ll call if there are any issues,” Egon said.

“Ok. We will, too. See ya!”

Egon ended the call and headed back to the bedroom.


	6. Plan B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seems it’s not as easy to reverse a transformation spell as Ray thought.

Janine was exhausted after the transformation was successfully reversed. She was also somewhat embarrassed. The way in which Egon had to administer the potion was sexy, but she hated that he was forced into it. And of course, the fact that she was nearly naked when she returned to her human form. 

She was sitting sulkily on one side of her bed, staring at her hands folded in her lap. She silently cried, tears running down her face. She had taken a shower and was now wearing a conservative pajama set with a robe over top.

Egon heard the water stop running from the living room and came slowly down the hall. He peered carefully into her bedroom from the doorway. 

“Janine? Are…..you ok?”

He heard her stifle a sob and stepped in. She was sitting on the bed with a wad of tissues in her hand. Egon sat down beside her and reached for her hands. 

“Don’t! Please…,” Janine said, jerking away from his touch.

Egon pulled his hands back but didn’t leave. “I’m not leaving this room until you’re ok.”

“How can you stand to be with me?” Janine whispered, still not looking at Egon.

“It’s simple…..I love you,” he told her gently.

Janine turned to face him, completely shocked by his admission. “You…..lo..love me?!” She stuttered.

Egon smiled, again reaching for her hands. This time, she didn’t pull away. He cupped one hand against the side of her face. “Yes, I do.”

“I remember how you gave me the potion,” Janine said softly. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”

“I’m not,” Egon admitted. 

Janine blushed and smiled. “Guess you got a free show, too?” 

Egon didn’t follow at first, but after Janine gestures to her chest, he blushed. “Ahem….well….I wasn’t really focused on that,” he said. 

Janine’s expression fell slightly, a bit disappointed. 

Egon quickly added, “But, I would be lying if I said no.”

He reached over and tilted Janine’s face to him. “You are beautiful...every inch of you...especially what I estimate to be at least a set of 18Bs?”

“EGON!” Janine squealed, shocked that he would make such a statement, and even more so by sounding proud of it. 

Egon arched an eyebrow. Janine smiled mischievously. “I love you, too.” Then she playfully added, “and yes, they are 18Bs.”

He leaned in and kissed Janine passionately, slowly leaning back onto her bed. Egon hovered over her, smiling. 

“Should we grab something to eat?” Janine asked, looking up into his eyes.

“Later,” Egon said before kissing her neck.

“Oh Egon!” Janine breathed as she surrendered herself to her lover. 

Just as Egon was starting to make his way further down Janine’s neck, she gasped, not in a good way. 

Egon pulled back, looking her over for injuries. “Janine! What is it?!”

She pulled herself out from under Egon, grabbing the comforter on her bed. Janine gripped the covers on the bed in an effort to control herself. Her back arched, Janine screaming in pain.

“Tell me what’s wrong!” Egon pleaded. 

Janine settled down, the pain subsiding. She gasped for air. Egon ran to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He returned to see Janine tearing her pillows to shreds. He didn’t know what to do except watch and wait. 

A few minutes passed, Janine settling down. She looked around the room, fear shining in her eyes. 

“What happened?” She asked Egon.

“I wish I knew. Ray had mentioned Peter having a delayed reaction from the potion,” Egon replied. “I think we need to go to the Firehouse so I can research this.”

Janine nodded, grabbing a change of clothes and closing the bathroom door. A few minutes later, she came out. Egon was waiting in the living room. 

“Will you stay with me til we figure this out?” Janine asked.

“Of course,” Egon replied. 

Janine smiled and handed Egon her car keys. Together, they returned to the Firehouse. They made their way upstairs where they found Peter, Ray and Winston cleaning up the rec room.

“Egon! Janine! How are ya?” Ray shouted, excited to see them. 

“I was better til I saw all of this!” Janine said, wide eyed with shock.

“I’m really sorry guys,” Peter apologized...again.

“How many times have I gotta tell ya it’s ok?” Winston said, playfully punching Peter’s shoulder. 

“I believe more research is in order,” Egon suggested. “We need to know if this is going to happen again.”

“You guys go ahead,” Janine told Egon and Ray. “I’ll help with this.”

Egon gave Janine a light kiss on the cheek; the others looked at each other with arched eyebrows and grins.

“Did anything else happen to Janine?” Ray asked Egon after they had reached the lab.

“Yes,” Egon said. “She was in severe pain for a moment, then started ripping her bed pillows apart with her bare hands. It was as if she had some sort of overwhelming anger that was driving her. Also, she was able to override the amulet”

“I’m gonna read back over the ingredients of the potion,” Ray said. “See if I missed anything.”

“And I will read further into the side effects of these wounds,” Egon said.

Winston stepped into the lab shortly afterwards. 

“How’s Peter and Janine?” Ray asked.

“Janine fell asleep on the couch, and Pete went back up to the bunk room. I think changing back to their human selves tired them out.”

“Good,” Egon said. “That should give us some time to research this.”

“It’s almost as if the potion wasn’t quite strong enough,” Winston said. “It fixed the transformation but they still have the inner instincts.”

“Yes, I agree,” Egon said. 

“I’m looking back through the ingredients; the measurements were exact,” Ray said, confused.

“Does it have anything to do with their relationship with each other?” Winston asked. 

Egon adjusted his glasses. “I believe their anger towards each other was amplified once the transformation began. Other than that, I don’t believe there’s anything else?”

“Yeah, they pick at each other like siblings,” Ray added. “It gets a little too real sometimes.”

“My point is maybe it’s a power thing?” Winston suggested. “Before they turned, they were arguing; Pete practically kicked her out because this is his territory.”

“Where are you going with this?” Egon asked, somewhat understanding the meaning of it. “Are you suggesting there is still an underlying power dynamic at work? That they will continue to fight each other?”

“I’m not sure,” Winston said. “But there’s still enough hostility between them; just a thought.”

“But it still doesn’t explain their behaviors now. And how Janine was able to move with the amulet still on!” Ray said, frustrated. “I’m gonna go talk to my friend Leonard. Maybe he can help.”

**************************  
Ray arrived at The Witch’s Cove, hoping his friend Leonard could help with why Peter and Janine are still showing signs of being affected by the demon wolf wounds. He explained that he had followed the recipe for the potion to the letter.

Leonard looked through the passage in the book. He asked Ray again for the details of how the wounds were treated. 

“We took them to the nearest hospital. A nurse cleaned up the wounds and the doctor stitched them up,” Ray recalled. “Then we took them to the Firehouse to rest.”

Leonard’s face lit up. “That’s it!” He exclaimed. “The wounds weren’t burned first!”

“WHAT?!” Ray’s eyes almost boggled out of his head. 

“It’s a process that purifies the wound,” Leonard explained. “It draws out the poison or venom. Then the wounds are cleaned and bandaged.”

Ray started flipping pages in the book frantically. “How did I MISS THAT?!”

“Don’t blame yourself, Ray! It’s not your fault,” Leonard assured him. “That isn’t in the book. It’s sort of like common knowledge among true occultists. You’re still kind of new at it, so you wouldn’t have known to do that first.”

“Oh, Ok. So, we undo the stitches and open the wounds back up. We burn out the poison, then redress the wounds. Then what?” Ray asked.

“They’ll have to drink the potion again,” Leonard said. “You might as well get more of the ingredients since you’re here.”

“One other thing,” Ray said. “Egon said that Janine was able to override the amulet and move with it still around her neck?”

Leonard nodded, not surprised at all. “An alpha female is very driven,” he explained. “When she’s in that frame of mind, or in that mode if you will, that can happen. I’ve read in other books how some have even been able to kill while wearing it. She must be a very determined woman?”

Ray chuckled. “Leonard, you don’t know the half of it!”

As Ray went to the back room for the ingredients, he turned again to Leonard. “Winston mentioned that maybe Peter and Janine’s anger towards each other is related to their sibling-like actions? Why is Peter so determined to keep Janine out of the Firehouse?”

“It’s a territorial thing,” Leonard explained. “Peter is the alpha male, Janine the alpha female. There can be only one leader in a group. He sees her as a threat due to the possibility that she could bite the others and lead a revolt to overthrow him.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Ray exclaimed. “She’d never do that! We’re a team! Family!”

“Their minds are not their own right now, Ray,” Leonard reminded him. “They don’t realize what or why they’re doing it. They’re simply reacting to the poison inside the wound. Which is why you MUST reverse it. Another twenty-four hours, and they’ll be stuck like this permanently.”

Ray gathered the necessary ingredients and rushed back to the Firehouse. He explained everything Leonard had told him. 

“Ah man, this ain’t gonna be easy,” Winston mumbled. 

“We need to find a way to keep them restrained during this process,” Egon said. “We know the amulet works on Peter but not Janine.”

“How’d you get her to drink the potion?” Ray asked. “Maybe you can do that again?”

Egon blushed. “I...ahhhh…..tricked her into drinking it. I do not believe it will work again.”

“I’ve got more rope in the back of Ecto,” Winston said. “A stronger grade than what I used on Pete.”

Ray and Egon looked at Winston skeptically.

He explained: “remember a few months ago when we were on that call that led us to the roof of that building in Queens? When Pete fell and we had a helluva time getting to him? I thought it’d be a good idea if we kept climbing gear and rope in the back; just in case.”

Egon and Ray nodded, remembering the incident well. They had feared Peter’s life that day. Now, they feared for both Peter and Janine. Winston went down to the garage for the rope. Egon found a box of matches while Ray gathered the ingredients to start preparing the potion.

They were nervous about having to burn the poison out, but they knew it had to be done. 

“I’ll be ready to draw the blood while you and Winston burn the wounds,” Ray suggested. “As soon as you get the wounds cleaned, get new bandages back on. By then, I’ll have the potion ready. All I’ll need to do is add the blood.”

Egon nodded. Ray could see the tension on Egon’s face.

“They’re gonna be fine,” Ray assured him. 

Egon sighed heavily. “Something almost happened between Janine and I at her apartment, shortly before she had the episode.”

Ray looked at Egon with concern. “Do you mean….?”

“Yes, we kissed and almost…..well, were getting close to…..engaging in…..,” Egon blushed profusely.

“Wow! That’s great!” Ray exclaimed. 

“About damn time, too!” Winston said happily as he came back into the lab. 

They all shared a quick laugh before getting back to the issue at hand. With everything they needed in place, they went to wake up Janine. They had agreed to take her to the bunk room so they could restrain her better. It would also be easier to have them in the same room.

Before waking Janine, Winston stopped Ray and Egon before leaving the lab. 

“Guys, if you don’t mind, with their lives being on the line like this, do you mind if I say a quick prayer before we start?” Winston asked.

“I think that would be nice,” Egon agreed.

“Yeah! We’re gonna need all the help we can get!” Ray replied.

Winston led them in a short prayer, asking for help in not only what they were about to do but also that Peter and Janine would live through it.


	7. The Healing Process

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon, Ray and Winston prepare to implement their plan to heal Peter and Janine. But it won’t be easy.

Egon walked over to the couch in the rec room and knelt down. He gently placed his hand on Janine’s shoulder. 

“Janine?” he spoke softly.

She opened her eyes, looking around groggily. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing. We just think you would be more comfortable in the bunk room,” Egon said. “In my bed.” He blushed after adding that last bit.

Janine sat up, clearly interested and hoping they could finish what they started earlier. Then, she tensed up, frowning. “Peter is in there.” Her eyes turned red.

“Not for long,” Winston said. He knew he was lying and he hated lying to Janine. But for the moment, it was the best way to get her to go along with what they wanted.

Egon helped her up and held her by the arm firmly as he led her to the bunk room. Ray and Winston had gone on ahead to get Peter restrained. Ray had placed the amulet on Peter’s chest to keep him calm. He and Winston used one rope to tie Peter’s arms to the posts at the head of his bed, and another rope to tie his feet to the posts at the foot of the bed.

Ray had laid out the tools to reopen the wound on Peter’s leg. He had already laid out similar tools on the nightstand by Egon’s bed. 

They knew the amulet wouldn’t work on Janine so they were prepared to use brute force on her. The main plan was for Egon to try and charm her into obedience. He wasn’t comfortable using Janine’s emotions against her, but Winston and Ray had convinced him it was necessary. 

When Janine saw Peter restrained to his bed, she stopped abruptly. She glared at Egon. “What have you DONE?!” She demanded.

Winston and Ray joined them at the doorway. 

“It’s ok, Janine,” Egon said gently. “We’re going to help both of you.”

“We can’t finish our joining with HIM in here!” Janine yelled. 

“He’s asleep; he won’t remember a thing,” Ray assured her.

Hesitantly, Janine allowed Egon to lead her to his bed. Egon gently lowered her down onto the bed. He sat on the side of the bed, removing his pink button up shirt. Janine reached for him, trying to pull his t-shirt over his head. He took her by the hands and smiled.

“In a moment,” he whispered with a smile. 

Egon then looked over to Ray and Winston. They moved in quickly. Egon pushed her arms over her head, Winston tying her wrists together and then restraining them to the metal headboard of Egon’s bed. At the same time, Ray had moved in and tied her ankles together and then restraining to the metal footboard. 

Janine let out a horrific howling sound, glaring at Egon. “How COULD YOU?!” She screamed at him. “I thought you LOVED ME?!” 

Egon leaned in, his face reflecting the deep hurt that Janine’s comments had caused him. “I do love you, Janine. That’s why we have to do this.”

Ray and Winston gave each other a quick smile, relieved that Egon finally admitted his feelings for her. 

“You BASTARD!” She screamed. She arched her back but was unable to break free. 

Winston had already returned to Peter’s bedside, starting the process of reopening the wound on his leg. The pain snapped Peter out of his trance from the amulet. He didn’t try to break free but he too started howling. 

Ray almost lost his composure, but Winston kept him focused. “Ray, come on! Get that match lit!”

Ray shook his head and returned his mind back to their job at the time. He lit the match and held it down to Peter’s leg, touching the raw skin which had began to bleed after Winston removed the stitches.

Peter let out an unholy scream as the poison seeped to the top of the wound. Winston used a warm sterile cloth to place over the wound, soaking up the green poison. As tears streamed down Peter’s face, Ray handed Winston a syringe filled with a saline solution to help flush out the poison. Winston worked quickly to disinfect the wound while Ray proceeded to take the blood sample from Peter’s arm. Winston had placed a new bandage on Peter’s leg. Peter lay there quietly, his chest rising and falling heavily from the pain. Ray ran to the lab to process the potion for Peter. 

Winston took a cooler washcloth and placed it on Peter’s forehead. “You did great, Pete. Just try to relax. The worst part is over.” 

Peter opened his eyes slightly, giving Winston a wary grin. “What else has to be done?” He asked shakily.

“Just the potion again,” Winston said with a smirk.

“I’ll cooperate this time,” Peter said with a light laugh.

Ray returned with the potion. Winston had untied Peter and helped him sit up. This time, he did cooperate and willingly drank the potion himself. 

“Damn! That shit tastes like…..shit!” Peter said loudly. 

“Ok. Now….Janine,” Ray said to Winston. 

Winston nodded. Peter stretched his neck to see Janine on Egon’s bed. “Anything I can do to help?” Peter asked.

“Nope, you just stay there and rest,” Winston advised. “And hold your ears.”

Egon had held Janine down by her shoulders while Peter’s wound had been reopened. She had became increasingly anxious hearing his screams and howls. He had done his best to whisper reassuring words to her to calm her. 

Her eyes widened when she watched Winston and Ray get situated by the bed. Her breathing became ragged, and she started pulling trying to break free. 

“Janine, please be still. It will be over in a few minutes,” Egon begged.

Winston went ahead and started removing the bandage on her shoulder. He then broke the stitches loose and opened the wound. 

Egon placed the amulet on her chest to see if it worked this time. It didn’t so he laid it on the nightstand. Instead, he placed a cool cloth on her forehead, whispering comforting words to her.

Ray lit the match and repeated the motion he had done with Peter. Janine screamed, a blood curdling sound that gave them all goosebumps. The green poison seeped to the top. Winston placed a warm sterile cloth over her wound as he had done with Peter’s. He flushed out the poison and disinfected the wound while Ray took the blood sample from her arm. 

Within minutes, Ray returned with the completed potion for Janine. Winston had placed a new bandage on Janine’s shoulder and had untied her arms and legs. Egon was sitting on the bed, holding her in his lap against his chest. She was catching her breath from the screaming.

Rey handed Egon the potion. Janine looked at him. They exchanged a knowing smile, then he gave her the glass. She drank the potion willingly. She fell asleep within seconds. 

They turned to check on Peter; he had fallen asleep, too. 

“Why don’t you lay her down? She’ll be more comfortable,” Winston suggested to Egon, who was still holding Janine in his arms.

“She’s comfortable right here,” Egon replied softly. He still looked upset from what Janine had said earlier.

Ray stepped over and placed his hand on Egon’s shoulder. “You know she didn’t mean it? What she called you?”

“I know. I just wasn’t prepared to see her like this,” Egon whispered. “I want to stay here with her, be here when she wakes up.”

“That could be a while,” Ray pointed out.

“That’s fine,” Egon said with a smile. 

Ray and Winston left the bunk room, smiling. Maybe now they could all get some rest.

Two hours later, Peter opened his eyes, slowly surveying his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was he wasn’t tied down anymore and his leg was no longer throbbing. In fact, it felt better than it ever had. As he sat up, he saw Egon on his bed. He had leaned back against the headboard and fallen asleep, Janine sleeping peacefully in his arms. 

Peter quietly got out of the bed and tiptoed out of the bunk room. He came to the rec room where Winston and Ray were watching tv. 

“Hey, Pete! Feeling better!” Winston asked, glad to see how much better Peter looked.

“Yeah! Feel great! Gotta a question though? Anybody wanna tell me what’s going on with the lovebirds upstairs?” he said with a smile, gesturing upstairs to the bunk room.


	8. Apologies and Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Janine clear the air between them; Egon finally admits his feelings.

Ray and Winston smiled. 

“Iggy finally spilled his guts to Janine,” Ray said. 

“But will she remember?” Winston asked.

“Why not? I sure as hell remember what you two did to me,” Peter said with a smirk.

“We’re really sorry about that Peter,” Ray apologized. “It was the only way.”

Peter gave Ray a friendly pat on his cheek. “Hey, no worries pal! I’m just glad to be rid of that pain!”

Meanwhile, upstairs in the bunk room, Janine started to wake up. Egon felt her shifting and woke up. Janine looked up at him, a little surprised to be in his arms.

“Hi,” Egon said softly with a smile.

“Hi,” Janine replied. 

“Do you remember anything?” He asked her. 

“Yeah, everything,” Janine said. She looked down at her shoulder. “This feels a lot better now though.”

“Good. I’m sorry for having to restrain you, but it was the best way to do what had to be done,” Egon apologized.

Janine gave him a playful wink. “No problem; maybe you can tie me up again sometime?” 

Egon turned three shades of red. “Yes, well….,”

Janine sat up, giggling. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Then, she suddenly looked sad. “Egon, did you mean it?”

“Did I mean what?”

“Well, first of all, I’m sorry I called you such a terrible name. I didn’t mean it. But you told me you had to do this because you loved me. Did you mean that?” Her heart was pounding, afraid that Egon would once again distance himself like he has for so long.

Egon gave her a reassuring smile. “First of all, I know you didn’t mean to say what you called me; it was the poison. And I hated having to put you through such a horrific and painful process. But we had no choice. As for whether I meant it when I said I love you?” He paused while taking her hands in his. “Yes, I meant it. I do love you.”

Tears of joy ran down her cheeks. Egon leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. Janine reciprocated, very enthusiastically. She threw her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. 

As they pulled apart, Egon looked at Janine with such love in his eyes. “If you’re feeling up to it, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?”

“Oh yes!” Janine squealed.

Together, they came downstairs to join the others. Peter walked up to Janine and gave her a big hug. As they pulled apart, they were smiling.

“Janine, I’m sorry we had gotten on each other’s nerves before all this started,” Peter apologized. 

“I’m sorry too,” Janine said. “Guess I need to loosen up a bit.” 

“Looks like Spengs has already loosened up!” Peter laughed. “You mean to tell me that getting you out of just your shirt was as far as Big J could get you?!”

Egon again blushed several shades. “I had to make her believe that…..well…..never mind.”

Janine squeezed Egon’s arm that she was holding onto. “He just didn’t want to get blood and yuck on it.” She winked at Egon without anyone else seeing it.

“Yeah, that stuff was pretty gross,” Winston admitted. 

“Well, what do we want for dinner?” Ray asked. “Janine, it’s late. You may as well stay for dinner.”

“How about steak?” Winston suggested.

“NO!” Peter and Janine both shouted together. 

“Ok, Pizza it is!” Ray said, laughing. 

A short time later, as they were finishing their pizza and sodas, Winston had one question he wanted answered.

“Hey Pete, what were you and Janine fighting about anyway? You know, before all this happened?”

Peter and Janine looked at each other, trying not to laugh. 

“Well,” Peter began, “it started out like it always does: I tease her, she snaps back, I tease a little more, she gets pissed off.”

By this point, Ray had become intrigued as well. “But what made you two so mad at each other that you tried to challenge each other after the poison had set in?”

Janine answered. “By the time we took that call to the woods, Dr. V had successfully upset me to the point where I wanted to knock the shit outta him! He had made some snide remark about my filing system. Compared to his, which is nothing, it’s the best around. Then, he started throwing jokes about a mediocre degree compared to his PhDs. I said something about me working my ass off, and then he started in on my weight.”

Winston, Ray and Egon all grimaced at that. 

“Peter! You should know better than that!” Egon playfully scolded.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Peter drawled. “I am sorry, Janine. You know you’re the best.” He smiled and batted his eyes at her.

Janine rolled her eyes. “So I guess we were challenging each other because of that? Maybe I felt like I had to prove something?”

“You don’t have to prove a thing!” Winston said.

“That’s right!” Ray agreed.

She blushed slightly and grinned. “Well, thanks guys. I’m heading home.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Egon quickly offered.

The others exchanged smiles. 

Egon held the car door open as Janine got in. He closed the door and she rolled down the window. 

“What time do I need to be ready tomorrow?” She purred.

Egon leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “How about six thirty?”

“Sounds good,” Janine agreed.

Egon was still leaning into the window, a slight predatory leer forming. “Do you remember…..everything?”

Janine smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. “If you’re referring to you getting to second base in my bedroom, you’re damn right I remember!”

“Then, maybe after dinner tomorrow, we could try for a homerun?”

Janine reached up and grabbed Egon by the edge of his t-shirt, pulling him further into the car. She gave him a deep kiss, lightly nibbling his lower lip.

As she released him, she smiled seductively. “I’ll be ready by five.”


End file.
